"The bid led on the whole GMG ethos of offering something different. It is an opportunity to do speech at peak time with classic rock around it. It is a totally new format for Britain.

"We will be targeting BBC Radio Manchester. I think one of the reasons Ofcom awarded us the licence is that we have the facilities in the north-west to make it work."

Chrysalis made a double bid for the licence with a format based on its digital rock station, The Arrow, and a speech station GMBC, based on its London talk service, LBC. Emap also proposed a speech station, Piccadilly Talk.

The Chrysalis Radio chief executive, Phil Riley, said he was "bemused" by Ofcom's decision.

"I am bitterly disappointed. I have to be honest and say I think the format that has won is bizarre. Speech during the day and rock music at night - I cannot get my head round why anyone would want to listen to that," Mr Riley said.

"I am bemused. Having put in bids for a rock music station and a talk station, they have gone for a format that does both. With two stations and a newspaper [the Manchester Evening News] in the north-west, GMG undoubtedly has the resources, but we have the resources and so does Emap."

Ofcom received a total of 11 applications for the Manchester licence and two for Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. The Herefordshire and Monmouthshire licence has a potential audience of around 200,000 aged 15 and over.

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